


Layers of Deception

by Quihi



Category: Rigel Black Chronicles - murkybluematter
Genre: Fanfiction of Fanfiction, Gen, Inspired by The Rigel Black Chronicles, News Media
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:40:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28259337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quihi/pseuds/Quihi
Summary: What if after the ruse is revealed, Plan B seems too risky, and a new plan is needed?  Harry and Archie aren't done with pretenses yet, and more layers of lies remain.  Fanfiction of The Rigel Black Chronicles by murkybluematter.
Relationships: Harry Potter & Archie Black
Comments: 10
Kudos: 60
Collections: Rigel Black News Report





	Layers of Deception

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: spoilers for FF13 ahead!
> 
> I've been told this idea is implausible, but I like it anyway.

As soon as Archie saw the debacle of the final event of the Triwizard Tournament, he knew he was in trouble and started thinking about plans in his head. As soon as he heard, "Psst. Harry," from the mirror in his pocket, he made his excuses and slipped off to his dorm room.

"What's up?" he asked. Archie had a million more questions, but didn't want to ask them until he knew more–he wasn't even sure what name it was safe to call her.

Harry looked relieved, holding the mirror back to show herself and Leo. "Did you see what happened?" After Archie nodded, she continued, "I'm in the Alleys at my apartment. Leo knows everything."

"Hermione does too. She already knew something was off and pulled me aside, but she won't say anything."

"So, Archie… ready to implement Plan B? Leo's prepared to vouch that I've been living here. I'll reveal that you're at AIM, and we take what comes."

Archie paused. They had the plans for it, but it was dangerous. They'd never expected the entanglements with Riddle and the risk that added. "I haven't been discovered, you know. I could stay here, as Harry Potter, and we could keep your name out of it entirely. Tell everyone that Archie and Rigel swapped places, and Harry wasn't involved at all. Neither of us will have deliberately committed blood identity theft, and Harry couldn't be implicated in anything."

Leo looked thoughtful at that. "That might be a good idea. It would keep Harry's name out of the entire thing."

Harry shook her head. "If you recognized me, Leo, Remus will have recognized me too. Adding in what our parents know, and how Addy always calls me Harry, our parents are _all_ going to figure out that Rigel was me."

"So we tell them." Archie was feeling more confident about this plan. "They'll keep it secret. They'll be glad that I'm safe at AIM, and you'll stay safely out of the headlines. Harry's the one who can't be caught."

"Riddle won't be fooled," Harry insisted. "I have the apartment here; I'm known in the Alleys. The ruse worked because no one looked too closely; it won't stand up to this. We always planned on ending it all at once." She finished quietly, "I'm ready to be myself."

Leo said softly, "If I knew this was your plan for the apartment, we could have prepared better. But it's no secret that you're only here in the summers; the Court's reach isn't big enough to hide that you've never been sighted during the year and your apartment is near silent. We escape the Aurors' notice by not causing enough trouble to attract attention, lass, more than through elaborate stories."

"Where would I go? Where would Archie go?" Harry asked. "Archie has to reappear from–where would Archie even have been all this time?"

"Archie wanted to study healing?" Archie nodded. "My ma might be able to arrange something out of the country. You'd have to study healing, but you've been doing that anyway. We'll just claim you've been in an apprenticeship all along."

Harry seemed to be coming around, but wasn't convinced yet. "There's going to be more attention on AIM next year. Everyone's going to notice you're not a girl."

"Hermione already noticed that last year, and I told her I identified as a boy." He hesitated. "I hate to lie about that, and it could be a problem if it became known in Britain, but we could pass it off as a phase if we need to later. We can make it work."

"It wouldn't be much of a surprise, with how many people in the Alleys thought Harry was a boy." Leo ruffled her hair fondly. "I think this would be safer. I'll miss you if you leave again, but it's safer for you out of the country."

"So then I'd be known as Archie? The ruse wouldn't really change, except that 'Rigel' would be gone," Harry checked.

"Yes," Archie answered. Harry seemed to be coming on board with the plan. "You think you can get her out of the country, Leo?"

"Definitely, and I can go talk to Ma right away. She'll probably have to write to some Healers that she knows to set this up. You speak French?" Leo checked.

"Well enough to get by, though I've been told my accent needs work," Harry answered wryly. "So we'll publish something, or do an interview, explaining that Archie and Rigel swapped, and the ruse is over. Harry never had anything to do with it. And then we continue what we've been doing all along."

* * *

###  _THE REAL ARCTURUS BLACK REVEALED_

Readers, you know from our past reporting that the Rigel Black attending Hogwarts was revealed to be a halfblood impostor. I have just obtained an exclusive interview with the true Arcturus Black, son of Sirius Black, to learn the full story of the ruse.

Arcturus Black always wanted to study healing, but his father insisted that he attend Hogwarts. One day, four years ago, while accompanying the elder Black to volunteer at St. Mungo's Hospital, Arcturus met a boy there, having traveled from France to be treated for a rare skin condition. The two spoke, and the boy, Nicolas Durand, revealed that he had been intended to attend Beauxbatons or perhaps Hogwarts, but that his parents were unable to afford the tuition after paying for his medical treatment.

The two exchanged letters (see page 12 for their complete content) and hatched a plan. The two would switch places: Nicolas would attend Hogwarts under Arcturus's name, while Arcturus followed his dream and began a healing apprenticeship in France. The two returned home, to their own names, only for the summers. Arcturus refused to share any personal information about the Healer he apprenticed under, claiming he wished to maintain his privacy and continue studying in peace.

Nicolas was then able to attend Hogwarts under the name Rigel Black. As you have read before in our paper, Nicolas completed a number of impressive feats including curing the Sleeping Sickness and slaying a basilisk which threatened the school. (See page 8 for a review and updated analysis of these events.) He apprenticed under Severus Snape and was known to be a prodigy who cared about potions more than anything else. Though Professor Snape ignored all of my attempts to contact him and Hogwarts has released no official statement, I have been able to confirm this with several students. Draco Malfoy additionally informed me that "Rigel" did speak French and had an unspecified medical condition that he was very shy about. By all reports, he avoided being treated by Healers as much as possible, likely to hide his condition.

After Nicolas was revealed as a half-blood after the final event of the Triwizard Tournament, he fled Hogwarts, returning initially to France to contact the true Arcturus Black. Arcturus, of course, immediately contacted his family to inform them of his wellbeing, and it is through them that I was able to contact him. He intends to remain in France for the remainder of the school year and continue his studies in Healing, but claims that he plans to return to Britain after completing his apprenticeship, to take the exams to work as a qualified healer at home.

Nicolas reportedly returned home, but Arcturus was unable to tell us any more about where he went. Our reporters continue to search for Nicolas, and will share any information we find with our readers as soon as possible.  


* * *

Harry thought back to the panicked, rushed time after creating their new plan. She had applied the strongest glamours she could and followed Leo to the Maywell Clinic. Eleni hadn't hesitated to help and immediately sent two owls to French healers who would be open to both an apprentice and deception. Harry was on a train to France the next day.

As she walked up to the door where she was to meet Eleni's Healer friend, she considered how things had played out. She was safer than she would have been with Plan B, but she wanted the lies to be _over_. It would be another three years before she and Archie could return to themselves, and she didn't know what would be left of Harry by then.


End file.
